I'm in total agreement with you. The "dealer" being the great solution to all mower troubles is non existent for the most part. For those of you that have great dealers that are well stocked, competitive, and helpful consider yourself lucky. They are usually the opposite. I hate going in dealers.

Without inventory it doesn't sound like a dealer to me. Bet he doesn't have much parts inventory either. I'd stay away from this one. However, I'd still rather find a good dealer than deal with a middleman (ie the box store).

Cheers

JDFANATIC

I agree and had a very similar experience. The dealer was an extrememly nice guy but only stocked the smaller ones. I ended up purchasing a YTH2348 and went to lowes with a Sears 15% off coupon and they matched it. My local dealer only had a handful of units in stock and they all sit outside 24x7.

If your "dealer" friend sees your "not bopught from Him",new mower,I would tell Him where I got it,and exactly why.If He is your friend,He should appreciate your being frank with Him.Years ago,I went to the only,and Very Old local Pontiac dealer to see Pontiac's "new Grand AM.They had no new anything.The few new cars He had were waiting for new car buyers to pick them up.Dealer actually said,"when a new GrandAm arrives,maybe the new owner would let me try out their brand new car". DUH ..I am sure they would.I departed,and never revisited that now defunt place.Later learned,that dealer just relied on repeat customer sales/parts/service.

As an over the road sales rep. dealing with the day to day business of walking into businesses every day. I have come to understand that MOST business owners big and small are their own worst enemy. Not the competition. A good businessman is agressive and has good ideas and a good clean looking business.

I am in lawn mower sales and service businesses in small towns all across eastern Iowa. Most are not surviving. They barely hang on by their teeth. Like the original poster said, they have a few units, many old and used. Very few have any inventory.

It takes a good deal of research to find a good dealer, if you find one you have an asset for your machinery in the future.

It always amazes me when I go back to a town a few months later and find the business I am looking for gone and out of business. Then I know the owner saw the handwriting on the wall. It was only a matter of a short time.

Sad to say good dealers are sometimes not near where you are. Even so it is worth seeking them out, as they are where you are going to have to go to get your mower fixed when it needs it. Not back to the box store.

Well said Tom. I have been involved in the retail side of the industry for a number of years and have seen a lot of businesses come and go. The usual culprits are lack of focus and planning. A number of owners saw the spring lineup at other dealers and and jumped in to make the big bucks.
It can be tough to find a good dealer in the small market areas but as you say, he/she will be a real asset in getting the most out of the machine.

You said that dealer is a friend of yours but I'd sure stay away from him. I'll always go with a dealer when purchaseing new, never a box store, but you got to find a dealer near you thats good. A good dealer will be there for you when a problem arises, at a box store you get a blank look and told to take it to the dealer who now isn't going to be in any hurry about taking care of your problem. All my mowers are three blade and do an excellent cut. Don't think that guy had a clue about what he was talking about.

I deal with 2 different Deere dealers (both multi-store and multi-county operations). I like the service at both dealers, they both have ag equip as well lawn equip.
I also deal with 2 other dealers of multi-line equip, one primarly ag, the other primarly lawn and garden.
I also have purchased a LT from Sears actually 2, the first in 1973 the second in 2002, always been able to get parts from Sears also.
No complaints of whom I deal with - Although there have many small shops close the doors around here in the past 40 years, these mainly have been 1 man shows - that the owner is the manager, the sales person, and the machanic, I have tried to steer clear of these operations. Owner retires, dies or goes bellyup.
JMO

Thanks for all of the replys.
That is kinda of the point I was making butchs hobby. I wanted to buy from my friend and local dealer but he had no mowers in stock and had only ordered two more of the same size that I did not want, after he had sold out. Nobody can't purshase a mower from them if they don't have them to sell. My mower turned belly up while mowing and I had to go on and get a new one soon, didn't want a jungle for a yard. Hope that your local dealers do a better job in taking care of their customers and the knowledge to help you if needed.

Better to go with a good dealership if you can find one. I'm lucky in that both the Toro and JD dealers in town are good ones. The biggest advantage to them is repair/warranty work. While they will service units bought at box stores they may sit for awhile while they take care of their customers first.

Box stores only offer low end type machines, and as the JD dealer told me, the box stores that go into service wait in line until the JD dealer bought machines take preference. How fast does ya grass grow and are ya scissors sharp enough! Also price is same at both. But if ya gonna buy a Ford Truck don't go to Chevy to buy it.

Really good dealers are getting far and few between in EVERY industry.

Some really successfull sales/service dealers I know have adopted a VERY GOOD policy towards people who buy elsewhere and then come to them for service.

Rather than penalize someone for buying elsewhere by putting them at the "back of the line" when they need service they treat every service customer the same. You get your place in line for service based on when you come and not where you bought your ------.

Really good business people know not to try to teach a customer a lesson for not buying from them, but rather show them why they should have bought there. These business people usually have a real high conversion rate when that customer who bought elsewhere is ready to buy again.

I envy people who are near good dealers... make sure you spend money with them so they'll still be in business when you need them.

bighagrid,
Does the JD dealer you talked to offer "ready to mow service" how do they sell the plan on equipment they did not sell originally? The JD plan can be sold for all makes and models. The dealer you talked to may be one of the "bad guys" that some folks refer to on this forum.
I used to purchase ready to mow plan for the JD GT275 - but found I get by for less money just calling the dealer when I need service. Oh yeah, the JD dealer kept trying to sell me a ready to mow on my Craftsman DLT2000 - I normally service it myself since all my tools are at my place - the GT275 is over at Moms farm 12 miles away - I cash rent the farm out for her, so very few tools there - just as easy to call JD for service.
Dad has since passed on - I started mowing for him a couple of years before he passed and just continued on for Mom (she's now 88 yrs).
I do alittle landscape business as a part time income - so still keep the dealers #'s handy.
Raining today - will have to work on Sunday to catch back up.
Grow and sell a few perennials also, sales there have been good today - so not a total loss.
Gonna retire from my full time job in 1 1/2 yrs so then landscape will be my SS supplemental income.

I agree with Justalurker. People are lamenting that dealers are going out of business, but they seem proud of the fact that some dealers will treat customers differently if they happened to buy their JD from Lowe's. Horror of horrors. Personally, the JD dealer I have been dealing with has been great even though I bought my JD from Home Depot. I haven't been made to wait for anything and they have always been very helpful. Like Justalurker said, if I find myself upgrading (which isn't a stretch for me), I will be getting it from the dealer. The other issue that seems to be lost is that most people buying their mower at Lowes or Home Depot aren't in the market for the bigkahoona's. My dealer has a few of the 100 series, but no where near the choices of Lowes and Home Depot. So in order to buy at the dealer, someone should fork over $5000 for a tractor they don't need? Just to get better service? That is complete BS. And if there are dealers that treat customers that way, it is probably why they are out of business and deserve to be.

to justalurker,steve2ski& jrahoona,they are a good dealership, as I originally ordered a X300 mulcher then two days later found out the tranny wouldn't do the trick, he couldn't cancel that order and ordered me a X304, he still has the X300 muclcher and didn't once give me any bad feedback, as far as a plan they actually advised me not to take it, and though it does not seem right as far as servicing one bought from a box store vs one bought from the dealer, well that is just they way the cookie crumples.after all small businesses do survive on customer repeats for servicing and buying things, why not keep em happy?

I have no problem with a dealer. But, like any businessman, I have a bottom line too. For me the best deal for my dollar was what I got at Home Depot. If I could have gotten the same deal at the dealer, I would have. It is as simple as that. If the JD dealers don't want to service box store JD, then the market will provide. It always does.

Can somebody tell me what is the difference if a person buys a tractor from Lowe's and takes it to his local dealer for service or he buys it from dealer A and moves 100 miles away and then takes it to dealer B for service. Is dealer B going to refuse to service it or make him wait because he didn't buy it there. If he does he is stupid and a poor businessman and deserves to go out of business.

Try getting service or parts from Lowes - good luck. They just sell them, they do no service or repair work. Id check it over with a fine tooth comb for any part missing or loose bolts, as the kid assembling them probably did a haphazzard job of assy.
The dealer ( except for your buddy) gives much better service and help then home centers, plus they repair tractors. I think the issue is Husquavarnas arent a hot seller, he didnt want to be loaded up with a ton of tractors he couldnt sell. I bot a brand new 1992 White LT12, from a local dealer, i had no problems until like almost 5 years later when a deck spindle ate its berings - I bot a new spindle assy, replaced the berings in the old one and my pop is still using it today,mowing 2 acres weekly with the orignal Briggs motor and all.
I heavily maintained it , new plugs, changed oil , fuel filter , air filter,inspected it, never had an issue. Heck even the drive belts are still original.
Kidd

One thing you have to remember. It's your money that your spending and you probably work hard for it so you should never feel guilty about where you spend it. Buy what you want and don't worry about other people even thought you don't want to hurt your friends feelings. But just put the shoe on the other foot ,Would he buy what you had if you was the dealer just to please you I DON'T THINK SO! All dealers are different. The local ones around my town have nothing, Just a couple used ones and a catalog to look at if you want to order one. But the local John Deere dealer has just about anything they make in his show room and he does a big business. Good luck with your new tractor, I think you did what was right for you. And that's what count's most. You're the guy who has to be happy. Pap

"Id check it over with a fine tooth comb for any part missing or loose bolts, as the kid assembling them probably did a haphazzard job of assy."

Another urban legend. The JD sold at the box stores are assembled by the local JD dealer. In fact mine has a sticker on the back of it from the local dealer. Why is it so hard to understand that the John Deere that I bought from Home Depot is different in the sense that I am only going to use it for cutting my grass and a few other chores on my 3/4 acre land. I have no need to spend $3000 or more for what it is I want to do. It has nothing to do with the dealer. If there is anyone the dealerphiles should be mad at it is John Deere. They made the decision to sell their product at Home Depot and Lowe's. They are tapping into a market. I say good for them because guess what for a guy like me who was only willing to spend about $1500 give or take, they were able to get my business. Had they not made the decision to sell at Home Depot, I would have bought something else. Get it?

Try taking it back when it breaks then.
Kidd

The real simple answer to this is that we need both big and small suppliers of products. We DO NOT need the big retailers of products to run the small guy out of business.

In order for this to work, we as consumers need to recoginze that fact, and need to as much as possible partonize the small business man. If we don't he will be gone and we will have very few alternatives.

In Iowa, many of what I would consider small towns, let WalMart and K-Mart come in and build a store on the out skirts. They said they would be good neighbors. Baloney.

Drive through many of those same small towns today, and they are Ghost towns now. A couple of convienence stores, a pizza place, and a WalMart. Well, guess what, where did those business people go. They took jobs in cities and now comute, or moved out all together. There by adding to the heavy population problems and over crowding in the cities.

Just came back from a week in Orange Co. Calif. What an insane place to live. If you can call it living. In Iowa you need only drive 5 minutes and you are out in the country away from people and have some peace and quiet.

If you can't make a living, what do you do. Stay home and sell stuff on E-Bay? Yeah, right. Eventually you run out of Stuff, or you end up selling the same junk everyone else is trying to sell too.

Read a book back in the 70's called "None Dare Call it Conspiricy" boy was that book on target. I was just to young and dumb to understand what it was saying, and use the information to my advantage.

It has all crept up on us so very slowly, we have hardly noticed what is going on, because we are all too busy chasing the almighty buck.

Besides, it really has little relavence to me.....

I am just one person and what can I do?

Heres a pick of my new mower, maybe.

{{gwi:330211}}

and a pick of the old 95 dynamark that was replaced.

{{gwi:330213}}

Thanks for all of the opinions.

I was at my local HD yesterday and they are having an event this week "Test Drive any tractor or zero turn mower." It used to be that you could only get that at the small stores, and not all of the small stores. If they get a lot of interest in that I wouldn't be surprised to see them offer that more often or all of the time.

It will be interesting to see if they decide to start offering service on the equipment.

Maybe a better name for this thread would be boxstore vs. shoebox dealer .

Id keep the older tractor n rebuild it, but thats just me. Im not sayin Husquavarnas are bad, after all they use Briggs motors, i just dont know thier service records ( how long they last). Vtwins are no different then any other motor, The problems come when theres a serious lack of maintenence. I currently have 3 running flathead twin cyl briggs motors over 12 years old ( and they were highly abused). I cant say much for new motors tho, since my newest tractor is at least 12-20 years old. I have 3 Dynamark tractors and i think theyre the best running tractors i own out of all 15 of them ( none ran when purchased). So you put a hundred dollars into fixing it up, its better then a few thousand.
Kidd

to tomhoffman....ya said it in a nut shell...the small guys are gettin run out and the big corporations don't give a dam...well actually they do cause when the small guy has to look for a job they give em one..@ minimum wage...so caring and considerate aren't they...

"Sad to say good dealers are sometimes not near where you are. Even so it is worth seeking them out, as they are where you are going to have to go to get your mower fixed when it needs it. Not back to the box store."

I bought my Husqvarna YTH2448 at Lowe's 2 years ago, along with ext wty. Lowe's does offer onsite service and repair (don't have a trailer to haul it in; won't fit on back of truck), but they admitted that non-warranty repair/service would be at a premium and I could probably find better priced service elsewhere. Lowe's didn't carry exact parts I needed. Local Husqvarna dealer did. But the local Husqvarna dealer carried only Cub Cadet mowers (huge selection of Cubs), stocking only chain saws from Husqvarna. So, purchasing Husqvarna mower from them probably would have meant ordering it, like OP said.

So, I got the needed parts from dealer, but still needed someone to repair it. I found a small local repair shop that someone had just opened about 3 months prior. He had moved from a location about 8-10 miles away in a less-travelled area. As busy as he and everyone else are at this time of year, I got same day service, pickup and delivery, and some freebies all for less than the price most dealers or even Lowe's would have charged (regardless of whether you bought from them). My point? Like automobiles, some times the best repair service isn't the dealer or the box store, but the local mechanic and he/she doesn't care where you bought your tractor/auto.

I bought my LA100 John Deere last week from lowes.This rider was checked out by a local JD dealer before it was delivered to me.Im dont really know who pays that dealer for the service(john Deere or lowes).I recieved the dealers name and address for service on this mower.I knew what i wanted when i entered lowes!didnt need to worry about what they knew about John Deere.When it comes to service and parts the local JD dealership and not Lowes or home depot will be getting the bussness from me.Today i stopped at that dealership and ordered a maintnance meter for my LA100!(not equipped on that model).which i will install.I dont think the non box store dealers loose out!! I think box stores and local dealers both win.The box store gets the tractor sales and the local JD dealerships get the part orders,maintance and repairs.

The Husqvarna 46" is going to be the same as a Sears tractor with similar deck and engine. The parts and design are identical to the Craftsman, just different colors.

In fact, all of the Lowe's lawn and garden service is done by Sears technicians, in different uniforms/vans. Not saying this is a bad thing, as you do get an established company to service the equipment if it needs it.

You mean Kmart technicians... Kmart bought Sears ( google it).
Searsmart? Ksmart?
Kidd

I only made 2 mistakes when I bought the PowrKraft.
1*It was built by MTD.
2*I bought it from a box store.
The thing was a lemon from day one.
Never Again!

This question is out there for just about every consumer product. Cars bought over the internet and brought to local dealer for warranty work, Archery Equipment from Cabelas or Bass Pro vs a local dealer, Lawn Maintenance (Mowers/Tractors/Trimmers), etc.

My advice?
Give your local dealer the opportunity to show you he will do right by you. Maybe not the same exact price as the Box Store, but close and you feel confident with your future service.

If that is a no go, then you have weigh the pros and cons and make the best choice.

A few recent experiences...

Weed Wacker: Got two from Home Depot , first $100, then $150. Both were faulty and would choke out. Neighbor told me the place where I get my chainsaw maintained (infrequently) just picked up Husq trimmer lines. Now, I LOVE this guy for my chainsaw maintenance. He cares about the customer, he takes the time to show you what you need, and he does not look down on you one bit for asking stupid questions (and I ask a lot). I happily jumped in my truck and went and bought a top of the line Trimmer from him for MSRP. I know if I have any problem with this commercial grade trimmer over the next 10 years he'll do everything he can to set it right. And the thing starts on the second pull every friggin time. I am sooo happy.

Second:
Bought a new high end bow a year ago.
Stopped by almost 10 dealers before choosing to by my bow from one three times farther way than the closest, because he was the most helpful and knew his stuff. I could have bought online and took it to my local dealer for maintenance, but I also knew they put stuff they did not sell on the 'slow track'. Sad.

Third: My shotgun I priced a ton of different places. All the local dealers acted like it was some special right to buy from them and at their cost. When I asked them about their cost compared to some others, they all acted like I was trying to starve them out of house and home. I ended up buying it from the Walmart Firearm Catalog and know that any service I get on it can come from Remington Direct.

There is no one answer.
Each situation is different.
manufacturers are in the business to make money.
JD was losing so much low end business, they had to branch into box stores. But don't expect a $1500 tractor to do what a $4,000 tractor can do just because of the colors.

I try to support my local dealer first, but it is a poor assumption on their part if they think they deserve my business just because they exist. Being Helpful and Responsive will make me spend more to support them. But act like jerks or don't know what you are talking about and I will go elsewhere.

Off Topic: Do any car salesman know ANYTHING about the cars on their lot? They should be studying when their not hounding people. Just went through a failed car buying experience and nothing more annoying than knowing more than the dealer about the vehicle I am trying out and having to correct them all the time. Then having them invite me in to talk MSRP. Sheesh

There are times when I seek out the little guy, and times when I buy stuff at box stores. I try to keep it in balance. Sometimes Goliath surprises you with his compassion, and other times David pisses you off with his arrogance. Here are a few examples:

1)Weed wacker--good dealer purchase
Had my eye on a Husqy 223L trimmer, which Lowe's had for $299. We have a small engine shop here in Jacksonville (Cooper's), which primarly sells Snapper, Husqvarna and Stihl. I figured I'd stop in, and if he were even within 10% of the Lowe's price, I'd buy from him. Turns out he undercut Lowe's by $30, and he now contiunes to get my business. He insisted that I take it outside and test it out--otherwise how would his trimming get done? I always support the local little guy when I can, of course, in Carolina, Lowe's is the local little guy compared to Home Depot.

2)Used John Deere--sour dealer purchase
I recently "brokered" a purchase of a JD 265 from a reputable JD dealer (Bombergers Store, Litiz, PA) for my Dad, from three states away. It was a trade-in which was still configured for snow removal. We bought it for just over $1500, with plow, deck and snowblower (installed). My father has never owned a large garden tractor, and is not familiar with the lift system. I knew he'd be excited to take his new tractor up to the property and start mowing as soon as he got his hands on it. Since I obviously wouldn't be there to help him out, I didn't want him to have to skin his knuckles and get his blood pressure up swapping the blower for the deck before he got to use it, so I asked Bombergers if they could swap out the deck before the pickup time five days away. The salesman's response was "For the price this thing's going out of here, I'm not really interested in swapping the deck. We've got a lot to do for OUR customers this week. I'm mechanically inclined and it would take me at least an hour." So I asked him if I were to pay for the full $180 servicing (which includes leveling the deck), would he swap the implements out then? He agreed. Then he called me Friday at 5pm (tractor to be picked up Saturday at 10am) and said they did the service but left the blower on because they decided that wasn't worth their time. Getting really tired of being jerked around, I asked how much to swap the blower for the deck? $100. Fine. So the next morning my Dad picked up the mower, ready to cut, oblivious to the hassle and mugging I'd endured. That weekend I did some grading for my neighbor, going from deck->tiller->blade->deck in a single day, no swap taking more than 10 minutes (same system). The more I thought about it, the more I fumed. By Bomberger's standards, I'd just done $300 worth of labor just in configuring the tractor. I sent the manager an email saying they have one day to get back to me via phone or email to explain the circus that was the previous week--specifically why they didn't do a job we'd agreed on before calling me on a Friday night and demanding another Franklin note--or they could expect negative feedback on eBay. The negative feedback threat was a bluff, actually. Swapping the equipment wasn't in the terms of the sale, so I couldn't ethically destroy their 100% positive feedback for being A-holes for a somewhat separate issue.
Monday morning the manager emailed me his phone number, and said he would like to refund the $100 deck swap fee, as he agreed this was outrageous. He also politely scolded me for implying in my email that his techicians were less than skilled mechanics. He's right; I don't know them. For all I know, each of them may have completed the 8th grade with a passing average.
The whole time they kept referring to what they do for "their" customers. I'm assuming they mean the people who buy new $7,000 mowers, because apparently spending $1,800 on used equipment doesn't get you into the club. My Dad lives an hour away and could very well have become one of the elite few "Bombergers Customers." But after hearing about what I'd went through to get them to swap the attachments, it's a fair bet he will never seek that status.

3) Table saw--good box store purchase
The Craftsman folding table saw I've had my eye on for a year, with sliding miter and built-in router table (#21829) finally went on sale this weekend, from $450 to $350. After reading the Sears Ad in the Sunday paper I grabbed my two year old and went for a ride. As I went to check out, I noticed a ball-bearing chest (#61805/61809) set also heavily discounted. Unfortunately, due to the hot price, they had sold out of them. "Okay, so how much for that one?" The sales guy looked it over... "How's 15% off sound?" Sounds like I'm going to need to stow the third row seat to make it home... Since my credit card doubles the mfg warranty, I wanted to pay for the saw first, then pay cash for the chest. "Craftsman club member? 10% off today." Nope. So he pulls his card out of his pocket and discounts the chest another 10%. With the chest receipt came a $25 off coupon off my next purchase, which was the table saw... 20 seconds later. Once again he swiped his club card and knocked another 10% off. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I had a brand new $450 table saw on sale for $350, club discounted to $292; and a $450 tool chest combo, on sale for $370, floor model discounted to $277. Granted I didn't plan on spending $600 two weeks before we go on vacation, and I now will have to go without the 15gal tow-behind sprayer I'd planned to buy this season, but it wasn't a bad day for the consumer.
The big corporations might not give a hoot about us, but every now and then you'll find someone working the register who does.

You'd think if the guy was a "good friend" of yours he'd order any mower you wanted. When you have problems and take it to his shop you can hope he has better service techs than he had inventory. Because for sure Lowes won't be able to fix anything...

bhshaman,
I feel your pain. How many cars models do these guys really have to know?
marineguy,
If you are not writing for a paper, journal, magazine, you should.

I like to buy locally from small guys if I can. Our city has a policy against strip malls and it really makes a difference. Our downtown is very vital as a consequence.

Lakeguy43:
I had a friend who worked as a auto sales person and his answer was that I was looking at one car and studied it, and he had multiple lines and could not know everything.

My response was; I understand, but you 'should' know if a particular line comes in FWD, AWD, 4WD. or if a particular model only has 4cyl, don't offer the customer a V6. If you don't know, don't pretend to know. Say your not sure and that you would be more than happy to go in and pull the model book and walk through options.

I wasn't playing stump the salesman. I just got tired of the guy(s) @ multiple dealers flat out telling me stuff that was wrong, when I had not even asked the question.

A corporation is made up of employees. Many personalities exist there. Some are helpful, many are not.

Marineguys experience with Sears may be due to the salesman being a stand-up guy. A different day, a different salesman, and he'd be disappointed.

bhshaman,
we think we have problems? my wife is tall, slim, gorgeous. also she's a veterinarian and has helped immensely in our home renovations. She rides her own motorcycle,etc. You get the idea...yet salesmen will treat her like an idiot.

Maybe the best place is a box store/dealer combo. I bought my tractor at a Farmer's Co-op store. The benefits of a chain store, but with an on site shop and parts counter. With these kinds of stores, you know they are going to still be there when you need service or parts and they have enough buying power to give reasonable prices.

I bought a new chain saw there a few months ago too. They gassed and oiled it up and ran it to make sure everything was ok, before they handed it over to me.

The Husqvarna mower you get from a box store is not the same mower you get from a dealer. This is true about Jhon Deer, Kabota ect. The dealer mowers are built better stronger. I was told this from a dealer and didn't believe him so I asked a friend that works at lowes and he said yes it's TRUE! But he said he didn't tell me that I got looking close at both and its very true

Scott, that's not entirely true. The dealer does sell the same machines as the box store. It's just that they are entry-level machines and the dealer's lineup goes upwards from there.

Cheers